Today's guest blogger is Penny Ray. My name is Penny Ray, and I'm a music parent. My husband and I have three teenagers: a sophomore who plays mellophone in her public high school marching band and French horn in the Wind Ensemble at school; an 8th grader who plays...

Are you a new Band Parent? There’s definitely a learning curve to know what's going on and what to do. I have learned from the 6 years I have had with two children coming through the Blackhawk Band program: There are band fees due for each student participating,...

College is like getting thrown into an ocean and turning into a mermaid. You don’t know how to swim and you don’t know anything that’s around you. There’s so much unfamiliarity and this takes time getting used to. Freshman year you have to get used to sharing a...

Your Introduction to 6th Grade Band So you have finally decided that you want to join the 6th Grade Band at North Windy Ridge. Congratulations! But now you need to make the biggest choice, and often the most stressful choice; what instrument do I want to play? This...

An Open Letter to Incoming Freshman… “Can I do band in High School?” Many incoming freshman that participated in middle school band ask themselves this question every year, and unfortunately many of those that decide “no” is the best answer are surprisingly ill...

What it Means to be in Marching Band at North Buncombe High School The best part about being at North Buncombe High School is the marching band. This is where hundreds of students come together to make music and a story. They do this by playing classic recognizable...

For the majority of students that play music in band programs across the state of North Carolina, the All-State clinic might seem like a bit of a long shot. However for some schools in the state, this dream is much closer to reality. One such school is North...

"Making All-National band isn't something that simply just happens. It takes hours of practice, tons of determination, and a strong will to succeed in what your striving for. I spent hours upon hours repeatedly playing scales, sight reading page after page of various...

So You Want To Do Band? Great choice, welcome to the Blackhawk Band Family! Our band program started officially in 1959 and has seen thousands of students come through. Many of them just play for fun, because they love music, and some of them go on...